Chrysanthemum plant named `Royal Anytime`

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named Royal Anytime, characterized by its flat capitulum form; vigorous and tall growth habit; freely branching plant habit, medium anemone-type inflorescences; lavender pink ray florets; numerous inflorescences per plant; and excellent postproduction longevity.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora and referred to by the cultivar name Royal Anytime.

The new cultivar is a spontaneous mutation of the commercial cultivar Anytime (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 08/232,654, now abandoned). The new cultivar was discovered and selected by the inventor in Havant, Hampshire, United Kingdom, as a single plant among a population of plants of the cultivar Anytime. This single plant consistently formed inflorescences having lavender pink-colored ray florets compared to the light pink ray floret color of plants of the cultivar Anytime.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Havant, Hampshire, United Kingdom, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of Royal Anytime. These characteristics in combination distinguish Royal Anytime as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Flat capitulum form.

2. Vigorous and tall growth habit.

3. Freely branching plant habit.

4. Medium anemone-type inflorescences.

5. Lavender pink ray florets.

6. Numerous inflorescences per plant.

7. Excellent postproduction longevity with inflorescences maintaining good substance and color for more than 3 weeks in an interior environment.

The cultivar Royal Anytime has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are similar to the mutation parent cultivar Anytime in inflorescence form and plant habit. However in side-by-side comparisons in Oxnard, Calif., under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Anytime in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are shorter than plants of the cultivar Anytime.

2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have smaller, but taller, inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Anytime.

3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have lavender pink ray florets whereas the ray floret color of plants of the cultivar Anytime is light pink.

4. Disc florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are longer than disc florets of plants of the cultivar Anytime.

5. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have more disc florets per inflorescence than plants of the cultivar Anytime.

6. The color of the disc floret tips of plants of the new Chrysanthemum is purple whereas the color of the disc floret tips of plants of the cultivar Anytime is white.

A detailed comparison of plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Anytime appears in Chart A at the end of the specification.

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. The photograph comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering 16.5-cm container of Royal Anytime with five cuttings in the container and the terminal inflorescences removed (center-budded pot chrysanthemum).

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Oxnard, Calif., under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with average night temperatures of 18° C., average day temperatures of 30° C., and light levels of 2,000 (cloudy conditions) to 9.000 (sunny conditions) footcandles.

After sticking unrooted cuttings of the new cultivar, plants received 21 long days/short nights followed by short day/long nights until flowering. Two weeks after the start of the short day/long night treatment, plants received four weekly spray applications of daminozide growth retardant at a rate of 2,500 ppm. Measurements and numerical values represent ranges or averages for six typical flowering plants.

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Royal Anytime.

Commercial classification: Decorative potted chrysanthemum.

Parentage: Spontaneous mutation of Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Anytime.

Propagation:

Type.--Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.--7 to 10 days with soil temperatures of 21° C.

Rooting habit.--Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.--Perennial herbaceous anemone potted plant. Stems upright, uniform habit and freely branching. Vigorous and tall growth habit.

Plant height.--About 29 cm.

Lateral branch length.--21.5 to 24 cm.

Quantity of lateral branches after removal of apical meristem.--About 4.

Stem color.--147B.

Foliage description.--Number of leaves per lateral branch: 15 to 16. Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Leaf size, fully expanded: Length: About 9.5 cm. Width: About 5.5 cm. Leaf apex: Acuminate. Leaf base: Attenuate. Leaf margin: Palmately lobed. Leaf texture: Upper and under surfaces slightly pubescent, smooth and dull. Veins prominent on under surface. Petiole length: About 2 cm.Color: Young foliage upper surface: 147A. Young foliage under surface: 147B. Fully expanded foliage upper surface: 147A. Fully expanded foliage under surface: 147B. Venation upper surface: 147B. Venation under surface: 147B. Petiole: 147A.

Flowering description:

Appearance.--Anemone inflorescence form. Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets arranged acropetally on a flat capitulum.

Flowering response.--Under natural conditions, plant flowers in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plants exposed to 3 weeks of long day/short night conditions after sticking followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions, flower about 63 to 65 days later.

Postproduction longevity.--In an interior environment, inflorescences and foliage of flowering plants will maintain good color and substance for at least 3 weeks in an interior environment.

Quantity of inflorescences.--About 9 inflorescences per flowering stem.

Inflorescence size.--Diameter: 6.5 to 7 cm. Depth (height): About 1.7 cm. Diameter of disc: 3.5 to 4 cm.

Ray florets.--Shape: Short, broad. Size: Length: About 3 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm. Apex: Dentate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Satiny, smooth and glabrous. Aspect: Flat. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 22. Color: When opening, upper surface: 70B.When opening, under surface: 70B. Mature, upper surface: 75A fading to 75C with subsequent development. Mature, under surface: 75D.

Disc florets.--Shape: Tubular. Size: Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 238. Color: Immature: 5A. Mature: Tip: 70B. Middle: 155D. Base: 150C.

Peduncle.--Aspect: Flexible and angled 35° to 40° to the stem. Length: 4 to 6 cm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: 147B.

Reproductive organs.--Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anther color: 12A. Pollen: Moderate, 12A in color. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Style color: 154A.

Disease resistance: No known Chrysanthemum diseases observed to date on plants grown under commercial greenhouse conditions.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

    ______________________________________                                         CHART A                                                                                           ROYAL                                                       CHARACTERISTIC     ANYTIME    ANYTIME                                          ______________________________________                                         PLANT HEIGHT       About 29 cm                                                                               About 32 cm                                      INFLORESCENCE DIAMETER                                                                            6.5 to 7 cm                                                                               7.5 to 8 cm                                      INFLORESCENCE HEIGHT                                                                              About 1.7 cm                                                                              About 1.4 cm                                     RAY FLORET LENGTH  About 3 cm About 3.5 cm                                     RAY FLORET COLOR,  70B        65C                                              WHEN OPENING, UPPER                                                            SIDE                                                                           RAY FLORET COLOR,  75A        65C                                              MATURE, UPPER SIDE                                                             RAY FLORET COLOR,  75D        65D                                              MATURE, UNDER SIDE                                                             DISC FLORET LENGTH About 2 cm About 1.7 cm                                     DISC FLORET QUANTITY                                                                              About 238  About 210                                        PER INFLORESCENCE                                                              DISC FLORET COLOR, 70B        155D                                             MATURE, TIP                                                                    DIAMETER OF DISC   3.5 to 4 cm                                                                               3.2 to 3.4 cm                                    ______________________________________                                     

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named Royal Anytime, as illustrated and described. 